Chapter 2593: Chapter 2593
Ye Liuyun was well aware that venturing far with just the two of them would be impossible—the nearby savage beasts could easily tear them apart.
"Go pack your things now," he said after a moment’s thought. "I’ll take you to a safer place. Once you’re settled, I’ll leave." A little extra time wouldn’t hurt, and it was better to ensure their safety first.
The old man was overwhelmed with gratitude and nearly dropped to his knees to kowtow again, but Ye Liuyun stopped him. Only then did the elder hurry inside to gather their belongings.
Truthfully, they had little to pack—just a few bundles of clothes and some cooking pots and bowls.
Ye Liuyun stored everything in his spatial ring, then lifted the grandfather and grandson with ease, carrying them swiftly into the distance. After traveling far, he finally stopped at a secluded grove where fewer beasts roamed.
"This should do," he said, setting them down. "It’s relatively safe and hidden. At the very least, the Zhou tribe won’t think to look for you here."
"But... are there no beasts here at all?" the old man asked nervously.
"Don’t worry, I’ll handle it," Ye Liuyun reassured him.
Without delay, he gathered earth and stones, using his profound energy and spatial power to swiftly construct a small house and courtyard. The speed of his work left Luan Ping staring in awe. The earlier flight through the air had already filled the boy with admiration, and now he gazed at Ye Liuyun with undisguised reverence.
Luan Feng’an, being more worldly-wise, held his grandson back to keep him from getting in the way.
No sooner had the house been built than a pack of white wolves appeared. Savage beasts were territorial, and the sudden intrusion—along with all the commotion—had drawn their attention.
The grandfather and grandson paled at the sight of the wolves.
"Perfect timing!" Ye Liuyun smirked.
With a flick of spatial power, he seized the alpha wolf, imprinting it with a slave seal before commanding it to keep the pack in line and protect the two from then on.
Truth be told, even the alpha was only at the third level of the Immortal Realm—hardly formidable. But on the outskirts of this forest, it would suffice to guard the old man and the boy.
Before leaving, Ye Liuyun marked the wolves’ territory for Luan Feng’an, ensuring they knew where to tread safely.
"I’ve tamed all the wolf packs in this area. As long as you stay within this territory, no other beasts will attack you. If any outsiders intrude, just shout loudly—the wolves will come to your aid."
After making these arrangements, Ye Liuyun wasn’t in a hurry to leave. Instead, he stayed to roast meat with them, taking the opportunity to chat with Luan Feng’an about the local situation.
"May I ask our savior’s name and which tribe you belong to?" the old man inquired, his tone earnest. His question stemmed purely from gratitude, with no ulterior motive.
But Ye Liuyun shook his head. "Knowing my name might put you in danger. It’s better if you don’t."
Luan Feng’an nodded in understanding and didn’t press further. He guessed that Ye Liuyun, like them, was being hunted by the Zhou Tribe and couldn’t reveal his identity.
With a sigh, the old man began to open up. "Now that all the tribes have been forcibly unified under the Zhou Tribe, so many people are being persecuted or hunted down..."
Through his words, Ye Liuyun learned much about the region’s troubled history.
Meanwhile, Luan Ping was devouring the meat with relish, his face smeared with grease—a clear sign he hadn’t eaten so well in a long time.
Ye Liuyun packed a generous amount of meat into a Interspatial Ring for the boy. Unfortunately, neither the old man nor his grandson had any cultivation skills, making it impossible for them to access the ring’s contents. The gesture had to be set aside for now.
Once his belly was full, Luan Ping grabbed a stick and started swinging it wildly, pretending it was a blade. When the conversation between the two men ended, the boy rushed over, pleading with Ye Liuyun to teach him cultivation.
"Why do you want to cultivate?" Ye Liuyun asked.
"To avenge my parents and protect my grandfather!" Luan Ping declared, his voice ringing with determination.
Ye Liuyun chuckled. "Cultivation isn’t that simple. Every powerful warrior has clawed their way up through countless hardships, stepping over corpses to reach the top."
"I’m not afraid of suffering! I can endure it!" Luan Ping insisted, his young face and eyes burning with unwavering resolve.
"Alright then, let’s see how long you can keep this up," Ye Liuyun chuckled in response.
Without hesitation, he took out an ordinary piece of metal and casually forged a simple combat blade, handing it to Luan Ping.
"Start with the basics of weapon forging. First, swing that blade a thousand times at that tree over there," Ye Liuyun said, pointing to a large tree outside the courtyard.
"Got it!" Luan Ping gripped the blade and strode out without a second thought.
The weight of the weapon was already a challenge for him—just lifting it required tremendous effort. Yet, summoning all his strength, he raised the blade with both hands and brought it down in a heavy slash.
After each strike, he had to struggle to pull the blade free from the wood.
Without any cultivation base to sustain him, Luan Ping still needed to eat and rest. Judging by his current pace, Ye Liuyun estimated it would take him days to complete the thousand swings.
Amused, Ye Liuyun paid him no further mind and instead resumed his conversation with Luan Ping’an.
Luan Ping’an didn’t think much of it either, assuming Ye Liuyun was just teasing the boy. After finishing their roasted meat, Ye Liuyun brought out some tea leaves and even helped dig a well in the courtyard. As Luan Ping’an brewed the tea, the two men chatted leisurely over their cups.
Before long, Luan Ping dashed back for a quick sip of tea before returning to his training.
Luan Ping’an was about to stop the boy from what he saw as pointless exertion, but Ye Liuyun cut in, "Let him practice. At the very least, it’ll toughen him up. Don’t worry about food for the next few days—I’ll take care of it."
"Very well," Luan Ping’an conceded, unwilling to contradict his savior. So he let Luan Ping continue.
In truth, Ye Liuyun was deliberately testing the boy’s perseverance. In his view, while talent mattered, any martial artist with enough determination could reach a respectable level of skill.
As for whether one could ascend to the pinnacle—that might depend on innate qualities like aptitude or bloodline, but even those could be overcome through relentless effort.
However, such effort was beyond the reach of those lacking extraordinary willpower. By assessing Luan Ping’s perseverance alone, Ye Liuyun could determine whether the boy was worth teaching.
That night, Ye Liuyun didn’t meditate as usual but chose to sleep instead, reacquainting himself with the sensation of slumber. Meanwhile, Luan Ping was called back by his grandfather Luan Feng’an to rest, finally pausing his relentless training.
The next morning, Ye Liuyun made no mention of sword practice to Luan Ping. Instead, the boy busied himself fetching water and gathering firewood for his grandfather, working tirelessly until noon. When lunchtime came, Ye Liuyun once again brought out roasted meat, sharing a simple meal with them.
In the afternoon, Luan Feng’an set about clearing a patch of wasteland to cultivate crops, while Luan Ping retrieved his blade and resumed practicing his slashes against a tree.
Seeing the boy take the initiative to train pleased Ye Liuyun, though he kept his satisfaction to himself. After exchanging a few words with them, he left behind some preserved meat and mentioned he’d be away for about ten days. He promised to bring back seeds for planting upon his return and asked if they needed anything else before departing without further delay.
